The Light Falling
by cutflowers
Summary: Random short oneshot. Robby Ray assumes something that is totally, completely wrong. Right? Lilly/Miley.


**Yeah, this just a random fic bit that has nothing to do with **_**Thirst**_**. Sorry to those who thought it would. I don't know if I'll write a sequel to that. If I do, it won't be a for a while because I've got some other stuff I want to do first.**

**Disclaimer: Hang on, let me check my bank account. Nope, no billion-dollar media franchise. But I do have several thousand dollars in debt if anyone's interested. I am willing to share!**

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"Miley!" her dad called up the stairs. "I found something on the porch I think belongs to you!"

Groaning, Miley slammed her trig book shut and pushed herself up off the bed. As she clattered rapidly down the stairs she mentally ran through a list of possessions. That new nail polish she got Tuesday? No, it was in the bathroom. Cell phone? She was pretty sure that was still in her bookbag. Hannah wig? Not unless Jackson had stolen it again. And what the heck would she have left out on the _porch_, anyway?

"Daddy, what – " she started, joining him at the back door. Then she saw Lilly slouched down on the bench. Tear tracks were clearly visible, glinting on her cheeks in the yellow porch light. "Lilly?" She moved out on the porch and took a seat next to Lilly, vaguely aware that her dad had gone back inside and closed the door behind him. "What happened?"

"W-we broke up," Lilly wailed.

"Oh, Lilly," Miley murmured. "I'm so sorry." She gathered Lilly up in a hug and rubbed small circles on her back for a few moments while Lilly sobbed against her shoulder. How could anyone break up with someone as perfect as Lilly? Jon was an idiot.

"Come on," Miley said when Lilly had calmed a little, "let's go upstairs and you can tell me everything." She managed to get the gist of the story out of Lilly – Jon had met someone else he liked better, which only confirmed Miley's opinion of him as a moron – before the other girl collapsed into tears again. Miley just held her then, rocking back and forth slightly on the edge of the bed. She kept up the soothing motion and whispered reassurances and curses against Jon in equal measure until Lilly's sobs finally ran out, slowing first into whimpers and sniffles and then turning into shallow, even breaths.

"Lilly?" Miley asked quietly. There was no answer, and Miley drew back a bit so that she could see Lilly's face. She was asleep. Miley sighed and gently laid Lilly down on her side, then got up and picked up her legs, swinging them up until they were on the bed too. Sleep was probably the best thing for her right now. Things would seem better in the morning.

Miley tugged Lilly's sandals off and dropped them on the floor along with the trig book, then tiptoed out to the hall linen closet for an extra blanket. Closing the door once she was back in her room, she draped the blanket over Lilly, flipped the light off, and crawled into bed next to her friend, not bothering to change into pajamas. It wasn't even eleven yet, but she felt as emotionally drained as Lilly, as though she were the one who'd been through a break-up. This felt worse, actually; she could handle someone breaking her heart but she couldn't take seeing Lilly hurt.

Hair was strewn across Lilly's face and Miley gathered it off her face and neck, smoothing it down on the bed behind Lilly. Static made a few strands stick to her palm and moisture from absorbed tears dampened her fingertips. Next time she saw Jon she was going to punch him in the gut. Hard, so that he doubled over and couldn't breathe. It would serve him right. She pressed a light kiss to the top of Lilly's head and then settled her own head on her pillow, quickly dropping off into slumber.

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Dawn glowed pink and orange through the bedroom window when Miley woke hours later. Lilly had glommed onto her in the night and was lying with an arm and a leg thrown over Miley, her head on Miley's shoulder with her forehead pushed into Miley's cheek and her exhalations stirring the hair against Miley's neck. Miley didn't think anything of it. They shared a bed at least once a week, and ended up like this more often than not. Waking up this way was always peaceful, and today was no exception. She had no desire to move, but her bladder had other ideas.

She started to ease herself out of Lilly's grasp but stopped when Lilly's arm tightened around her.

"You can't leave," Lilly mumbled into her hair.

"I have to pee," Miley whispered back.

Lilly regarded her though half-lidded eyes. "Okay, you can go," she decided, yawning. "But only if you come back." She rolled off of Miley and pulled a pillow over her face.

"I'll be back in a minute," Miley promised, already out of bed and halfway to the bathroom. When she got back Lilly was asleep again, but Miley saw she'd been busy: the curtains were closed, shutting out the light, and Lilly had stolen some of Miley's pajamas and gotten under the covers properly. The extra blanket was carelessly crumpled in a heap on the floor to the side of the bed. Shaking her head in amusement, Miley shut the door and proceeded to change into pajamas herself, dropping her clothes next to Lilly's. It was Sunday, which meant six a.m. was way too early to get up.

She climbed back into bed, pulling the covers up to their chins. Lilly immediately snuggled up to her and Miley wrapped an arm around Lilly's waist, more than happy to resume their previous position. Sleep came even faster this time.

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A gentle knocking woke her some time later. "Mile?" her dad said, opening the door and poking his head in the room.

"Shhh," Miley said. She didn't want him to wake Lilly.

His eyes swept over them and he smiled a funny little half-smile at her. "I'm guessin' she's feelin' better?" he asked, coming the rest of the way into the room and sitting on the very corner of the bed, right next to the lump Miley's feet made.

Miley squinted at him in confusion. What the heck did that mean? Maybe he thought the night's sleep had done Lilly good. She hoped it had. "I guess."

"Well, I want you to know I'm okay with this, bud," he said softly. "More than okay."

"Okay," Miley said slowly, even more confused. Had she woken up in some kind of bizarro world? It wouldn't be the first time. "Where ya goin' with this, Daddy?"

"I'm okay with this," he said again, but this time his face was stern and his eyes flickered to the twin piles of discarded clothes on the floor. "And I certainly don't wanna be disturbin' y'all when you're lookin' so comfy. But you'd better have pajamas on under there."

Shock coursed through her, adrenaline making her feel like she'd stuck her finger in a electric socket. "_What_?" she yelled in a loud whisper. "Of course we do!"

"Good," her dad said. He patted her feet through the blanket. "I'm glad to hear it. Now why don't you two come down for breakfast when Lilly wakes up and we'll set some ground rules? I'll make pancakes." Her brain was paralyzed and all she could do was stare at him open-mouthed as he stood and made his way back to the door. "I'm gonna leave this open," he said pointedly, and then vanished down the hall.

Her dad couldn't honestly think that she and Lilly – No. No way. That was crazy. She was suddenly, agonizingly aware of every inch of Lilly's body against hers. And of how good it felt. Her body stiffened at the realization and her heart thudded wildly against her ribs like a bird trapped in a cage. No. No no no.

"Miley?" Lilly muttered, coming awake and bracing herself up on an elbow. She looked down at Miley curiously. "What's wrong?"

Miley flushed and her mouth worked soundlessly for a moment. "My dad," she finally spit out.

"Your dad?" Lilly asked. She glanced over at the open door. "Was he in here?"

"Yeah," Miley managed. "He – " Oh, god. This was so embarrassing, she didn't know if she could bring herself to tell Lilly. But it would be ten times worse if they went down to breakfast and her dad made some comment and she had to explain it to Lilly in front of him. "He saw us sleeping like this, and he thought that...he thought that we were, well, _together_."

"Huh?" Lilly said. Her face scrunched up in confusion. She looked adorable, Miley thought, and then almost pinched herself. That didn't mean anything. It was just her dad putting stupid ideas in her head.

"He thought that we were, you know, together. _Together_ together."

Lilly shook her head. "I don't get it."

Miley closed her eyes a second and stifled a sigh. Why was Lilly making this even harder than it already was? "He said he was okay with us being together," she said deliberately, like she was talking to a very slow four-year-old. "And then he said we'd better have pajamas on under the covers."

"He said..." Lilly blushed redder than Miley. "But – but we're not – "

Miley nodded vigorously. "I know!"

"I mean, that's – "

"I_ know!_"

Lilly's gaze traveled down the length of the bed, as if she was just now realizing how tightly they were pressed against each other and how that might look. She started to scramble off Miley, one of her thighs wedging between Miley's legs in her hurry, muscle flexing against Miley's center. The pleasure that shot through Miley was so intense and unexpected that she couldn't help it: she hissed and they both froze.

The only sound in the room was their hitched, uneven breathing. Miley didn't even want to think of what this would look like if her dad or Jackson walked by and saw them, Lilly braced precariously over her, her face inches from Miley's. They looked everywhere but at each other. Miley wet her lips and Lilly's eyes followed the movement of her tongue.

Miley swallowed hard. She watched as Lilly lowered her head towards her with glacial slowness. "Lilly," Miley breathed. She didn't know if it was in protest or encouragement, but it didn't matter because a second later Lilly's lips were against hers.

The kiss was barely there, a simple brushing of lips on lips, but it was enough. Lilly pulled away and for a second they couldn't do anything but stare at each other.

Then Lilly's eyes lit up and she laughed in delight. "Who knew your dad could be so smart?" she asked.

"Lilly?" Miley said. She raised a hand to caress the downy softness of Lilly's cheek. How was it possible she'd never noticed just how beautiful Lilly was before, or how absolutely wonderful being with Lilly always made her feel? She was a bigger idiot than Jon.

Lilly quirked an eyebrow at her and Miley slid her hand to the back of Lilly's neck to pull her down for another, longer kiss. "Stop talking about my dad."

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**Why is there not a pointless fluff category? I would've liked to file this there. The title is from some Elizabeth Bishop lines: "All over the roof the rain hisses/And below, the light falling of kisses."**

**Did you catch the reference to **_**When You Wish You Were The Star**_**? Good, because that's where I'm going next. Crack starts Monday.**


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